Chapter 25: The Young Lady Cries
In the ancient kiln factory, there were no towering chimneys. From a distance, Yue Kang saw that the short and stout chimney was emitting thick smoke.
The kiln factory occupies a large area of land, about 40 or 50 mu.
Bai Miao Yi took Yue Kang to the warehouse where the ceramics were stored. The warehouse was filled with shelves, and on the shelves were rows of successfully fired ceramics, including tableware, jars, vases, basins, pots, plates, dishes, and bowls - a dazzling array. There were also many large trunks, probably also used for storing ceramics.
"This is the three million pieces of porcelain, take a look." As the warehouse was a restricted area, only Meng Tangxin, Bai Miao's uncle, followed him in. Meng Tangxin had returned to the kiln factory yesterday.
Yu Kang took out a piece of porcelain, and indeed it was rough enough. Not only were the size and specifications not up to par, but it was also full of bubbles. The entire porcelain looked uneven and had a prickly feeling when touched by hand. How could such porcelain be sold?
Yue Kang then walked to a shelf and picked up a ceramic vase that was about 50 cm high. The vase, which had been produced previously, did not look good compared to the countless beautiful ceramics Yue Kang had seen before, but it was already considered top-notch compared to the three million pieces of ceramics.
It seems that the craftsmanship of ceramic firing in this era is not without some skill. The vase has a dull white color, which doesn't look particularly vibrant, but the texture feels relatively smooth. Judging by the arrangement on the shelf, the vase should be considered one of the better ones.
As expected by Yue Kang, the porcelain on the shelves was not that bright and dazzling, multicolored and resplendent. The entire house's porcelain was almost in one color, belonging to a kind of earthy yellow, with slightly better-looking ones emitting a bit of red, without any color to speak of. Compared to the shelf for placing flower vases earlier, the color was still relatively more vibrant.
"These items on the shelf were all refined by Father during his time, and they are all considered to be of high quality, each one can be sold for a handsome price. There are also several pieces that were refined by Uncle, although Uncle's current skills cannot be compared to Father's, but he is still a master craftsman."
Meng Tang sighed and shook his head, "The gap between my skills and Bai Lin's is still not in the same league! The White Family Kiln was ruined by me, I'm ashamed!"
"Uncle, don't say that. All these years you've worked hard for the Bai family and we all see it. Uncle, don't blame yourself." White Miao Yun advised.
"These ceramics should all be smashed." Yue Kang said calmly. After finishing, Yue Kang picked up a stick and swung it violently at the ten pieces of ceramics, which shattered in unison. Then he continued to swing his arm, smashing them fiercely.
Bai Miao and Meng Tang were shocked by this scene, for a moment they didn't react, staring with wide eyes, when they came to their senses, Yue Kang had already broken many porcelain pieces, the floor was full of shards.
"What are you doing?" Bai Miao Yun shouted in a shrill voice, her eyes red-rimmed. This was something their White family had painstakingly created.
Meng Tang Xin's face was also filled with anger, he snatched the stick from Yue Kang's hand and glared at him with a loud shout.
"I respect my father-in-law and uncle, that shelf of theirs I won't touch a single thing, those are treasures worth keeping by the Bai family. As for these rotten things, I don't want to see them again, from now on the Bai family's ceramics will never have such rubbish." Yue Kang said with his usual candor, his eyes flashing with determination and resolve.
Bai Miao Yun's eyes welled up with tears as she gritted her teeth and stared at Yue Kang, "Why did you smash the Bai family's porcelain? Do you know how much heart and soul we put into making these?" She struggled to hold back her sobs, her body trembling with restraint.
Meng Tang Xin's anger was also stirred, "Yue Kang Yue Xian nephew, do you know what you're doing?"
"Uncle, elder sister, follow me and I'll show you what real porcelain looks like." Yue Kang took the lead in walking out, he indeed had some regrets about being too impulsive earlier. As a member of the Bai family, seeing some of their own inferior products made him feel indignant and disappointed with the Bai family.
The Bai family's porcelain may indeed need to take it up a notch.
"Real porcelain?" The two couldn't understand the meaning behind Yue Kang's words, and they looked at each other in confusion. Bai Miao Yun also calmed down her emotions, knowing that this wasn't the time for her to get angry yet. Looking at Yue Kang's resolute figure, she seemed to really believe that this man could save the White family.
The workers in the kiln factory greeted Bai Miao Yun and her two companions as they walked in, then continued working. Yue Kang walked around inside for a couple of laps, gaining some understanding of ceramic firing techniques from that era.
"Uncle, have someone bring back some iron and copper powder." Yue Kang said to Meng Tangxin, then added, "Also, have them bring me some quartz, borax, and clay, each ground into a fine powder."
Looking at Yue Kang's confident appearance, Meng Tangxin was furious about what Yue Kang had done, but still followed Yue Kang's words and did it.
"Give me a few samples of flower vases, and make them according to your usual method of making ceramics." Yue Kang said to the three workers. The three workers looked at Bai Miao Yun, who nodded slightly, and then they began working according to Yue Kang's request.
Before long, Gongfu Meng found what Yue Kang wanted and handed it over to him.
Yue Kang rolled up his sleeves and began his plan.
Yue Kang first poured the quartz, borax and clay he brought according to the proportion, added a small amount of clean water in it, and then stirred evenly.
Then put copper powder and iron powder in two already fired pots respectively, order to burn with big fire until both of them melt into liquid.
"When you're repairing the embryo, be sure to pay attention and make the thickness of the embryo even. Look at this vase, it's no good, the body is too thin and the mouth is too thick, this won't do, remake another one."
"What is this that you have painted on the vase? Is it a flower or grass? Are you only capable of painting to this extent? If not, let another painter do it."
Yue Kang stood on the side and checked every detail, but in the eyes of the workers, he seemed a bit nitpicky. The workers could only hold their breath and lower their heads to work.
Bai Miao Yun and Meng Tang Xin stood beside him with a puzzled expression, not knowing what Yue Kang was going to do. The other workers were also curiously looking over, wondering what the young man was going to do.
Iron powder and copper powder were burned separately, Yue Kang mixed quartz, borax, and clay together and poured them into two jars, then had someone put them back in the furnace to burn on low heat.
The workers had basically met Yue Kang's requirements, and Yue Kang was able to sit down, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed. The cave itself was hot, and with Yue Kang having been busy running around earlier, he was already drenched in sweat.
Bai Miao Yun walked over, "If you're tired, go back and rest for a while, I'll call you later." Looking at Yue Kang busy with sweat all over his head, Bai Miao Yun's anger had dissipated a lot. She didn't ask Yue Kang what he was doing, she somehow trusted him inexplicably.
"Hehe, I'm not tired, I'll be fine after sitting for a while." Yue Kang showed an innocent smile.
Bai Miao also went over to supervise the workers, telling them to do everything according to Yue Kang's words, without any mistakes. The big sister had spoken, and the workers worked even more carefully.
After a while, Meng Tangxin told Yue Kang that everything had been done according to his requirements and asked him what to do next.
